One day a rabid animal took a bite out of Breeder’s beloved pet and sidekick, Top Dog. Top Dog is a muscular, spoiled canine with a colossal appetite. Breeder always let Top Dog play with Creatures, even dangerous and wild ones. He secretly got a kick out of watching Top Dog’s nature grow hellish and animated when he toyed with them. Top Dog also had a talent for dominating Creatures of all kinds. Breeder bragged to Brother often.
“I enjoy hearing Dog’s thunderous aggressive bark. It makes me feel safe. After he gets his kicks, he smacks his lips, licks my cheeks, and sleeps like a baby all night long. I must admit it’s hellish to bite Creatures, but…,”
Brother shook his head. “He is spreading venom across the Land, Dude. You’re all right with that? Give me a break.”
“The quick answer, yes. Trust me,” Breeder explained. “This obsession will pass. In time, he will stop maiming, destroying, and killing others. Be patient. Let his unhinged appetite run its course. He’ll be back to chasing golf balls soon. You’ll see. Once I load him up with Creature bites his taste buds will change and his manner will return to normalcy.”
“You heard the saying. The more you get, the more you want, so the jury is still out on this,” said Brother before leaving. “I’ll be back later this week. Need to borrow a tool from you.”
“Okay. No problem. Don’t worry.”
Predictably, Top Dog kept biting Creatures. Breeder made fat-tongued excuses. He even won a wad of money betting on Top Dog’s exploits. Top Dog lost touch with “normalcy.” His lustful appetite soared, and he thought that spreading deadly venom was proper. He ventured throughout Land into a jungle of darkness to satisfy his raging thirst.
Nothing quieted his tongue, and his stomach always craved for more. Scouting new prey was his prime source of sport and play. Top Dog left smelly dumps of waste wherever he feasted. Victims grew chronically ill as treatment centers and medical personnel felt overwhelmed. Creatures died by the thousands, yet Breeder still refused to gag and muzzle Top Dog. Breeder even started helping Top Dog attract Creatures. He held gatherings and parties to entice unsuspecting prey. A hardened heart walled an evil grin. His chest and stomach bloated with bluster. Like a peacock in paradise strutting throughout Land, he demanded Breeder to, “keep Creatures baited.” Meanwhile, medical professionals held an emergency summit to end the charade.
“We need active treatments to heal the pathological side effects of the venom. Creatures are suffering by the millions. The zoonotic results are extreme: Death, brain disorders, pineal gland retardation, and degenerative nervous system syndromes. We must search for, find, and kill the host.”
Creatures tried to hold their head up, flash a plastic grin in public, and puppet-act their bravery into surviving. These tactics failed.
Years passed as Top Dog became unhinged and pumped up with blind ambition. He cemented his deviation’s departure from his innate origin. Creatures called him an aberration. Others said he was a cross between a Wolfman, pig, parasite, and leech. In short, he was cringe-worthy and deranged — in mind, body, and spirit.
For example, one day Brother returned to the house to borrow an ax to cut down overgrown hedges. Top Dog was there, but Breeder had stepped out. Top Dog hadn’t been on his prowl that day and was famished. Peeking through the curtains, Top Dog eyed Brother. His choppers drooled. He lunged out of the window and took hold of Brother’s dungarees, aiming to satisfy his appetite.
Luckily, Breeder drove up to the house in time to stop the devouring. He jumped out of the car and pulled Top Dog off Brother.
“What the hell are you doing? Are you insane?
Top Dog smirked and walked away with his head down.
Breeder turned to Brother. “Are you okay?
Sweat draped Brother’s brow. He stood up and examined his clothes. Top Dog hadn’t broken his skin, nor had saliva laced his body. That incident concerned Breeder.
“I must admit. We have a big problem on our hands.”
Brother threw up his hands. “Dude. You have a big problem on your hands.”
At the twenty-fourth hour, Breeder decided to reign in Top Dog. “I must put Dog down, like it or not,” he declared.
“Duh, yeah! What’s your hold up?” Brother said while brushing dirt off his clothes.
Breeder confessed his creepy wish for unfettered dominance. “More opportunity for our kind if Dog kills off the weakest,” he proclaimed. “Survival of the fittest, right?”
“Are you out of your mind? I don’t know you anymore. Your moral compass is outright pathetic, as is your greed. You are out of control.”
Brother hated seeing Creature’s death and destruction. He leaked Breeder’s secret to the press and Land managers. The officials concocted a plan to end the fiasco at once.
Putting Top Dog down thrilled everyone. It would take the next four years for Creatures to recover and heal from Top Dog’s reign of terror. Creatures finally felt safe again knowing that Top Dog, who carried the most potent venom known to Land, was not going to hurt Creatures ever again.
Creatures cheered, “He’s gone at last.”
When Top Dog became a bottom Dog, herd protection helped restore health to Creatures. Creatures everywhere condemned the myriad of death caused by Breeder’s selfish desires.
The verdict, “Dog wreaked havoc because Breeder enabled him to exercise unbridled freedom.”
Creatures wept with joy when Breeder’s court day came. Officials sent Breeder to prison forever. Land Managers imposed an ordinance.
PROCLAMATION: EVERY BREEDER MUST PROMISE TO UPHOLD THE SANCTITY OF LIFE FOR ALL CREATURES.
All rights reserved January 2021
MetaStellar social media manager Renay Intisar Jihad writes juvenile fiction, idiosyncratic short stories, inspirational and socially conscious poetry, and feature news articles. Jihad writes for the Muslim Journal, AF-AM Point of View newspaper, Medium.com, and PoetryVibe.com. Visit her at RenaySpace.com.